The Problems Black People Have in Creating Their Own Beauty Standard

By:  Asher Primus

When it comes to society critiquing the aesthetics of women’s beauty it dives into muddy waters.  Even when men praise natural beauty, their appreciation is attacked as feminists respond with “Our beauty is not for the approval of men.”

Kendrick Lamar was called out by feminists for admiring women’s stretch marks and keeping it real & natural, yet it was quite puzzling on how a man gets flack for liking women on their terms.  The shaming of Kendrick Lamar seems over dramatic; women claim that the superficial demands men want are unobtainable to be achieved on a regular basis and to a degree they are right, women are not going to be looking like their “A-game” everyday, but we do like sex appeal.

On the other hand, the blueprint for the promotion of conservative black beauty standards has backfired and has done more harm than good.  The natural hair movement led by Afrocentrics failed to properly promote their cause.  Most importantly, due to lack of money, it was free labor with no incentive.  They ran the movement south and used the images of black women wearing weaves as an internet joke.  Men like Tommy Sotomayor has made a career making fun of their hair and referring to them as beasts to retarded children.  The once positive social change is now a shaming tactic.  Ironically, black women are claiming white men value their natural hair.

I have been in many pro-black discussion forums on the topic of black beauty that even though I can partial agree with the standard, the people creating it is problematic.  Most of these Afrocentrics are broke bums who lie on the internet.  They are not college educated or make decent money.  These men would make the internet their hobby as they give younger black men the worst dating advice ever and the women that they admire cannot even stand them.  Losers cannot make demands, but the concept of the ideal black woman being dark-skinned, average height, slim, flexible, in shape and no tattoos could work, but there is a problem.

Honestly, I used to buy into that notion but most women would fail to live up to the standard.  I had to become more liberal and understanding.  This is not downgrading, it is just seeing women as imperfect creatures.  I must also consider that not every black person was raised in a two-parent household and most important black women could care less about living to impress the average pro-black vlogger.  No dime is going to cry a river over a hotep dude rejecting her for having tattoos and weave.  I see Jason Black push this standard heavy, but if you believe that under the constitution of Hotep-ism that the average black man will reject women, even the extremes of Instagram models like (Lalovetheboss, skylr_leigh, re_rianna23 or arabellaruby), then you do not know the average nigga.  Yet, we get the point that some women are not wife material, but I will not let physical alternatives negatively influence my views.

When it comes to black feminists, they despise conventional beauty, yet it is only because men who control the faces and models of fashion companies are white.  Black feminists want black women to be the face of global beauty and offset the white woman.  The white woman most be valued as a luxury because her womb is the key to white survival.  Despite the complaints, white men are not going to promote black women over their own or white passing women and this is the reason racists and (passive) white supremacists can work anywhere, even in fashion.  White women appreciate the chaste image white men give them.  For example, most classical Disney princesses are white.  Little white girls can see themselves as princesses and adopt the attributes that they are extraordinary, hence why they pretend to like drinking tea and acting like a spoiled brat.

Recently, supermodel Naomi Campbell called out the British Vogue for its lack of diversity.  Yet, she was pleased to hear that her (black) friend, Edward Enninful could solve the problem.  Expecting the lone black guy to magically change the predominant perspective of the white beauty standard is more regressive than progressive.  We are practically fighting for 5 pages at the most, instead of having our own magazine with 30 pages that feature no white women.  Black people tend to have cognitive dissonance in wanting diversity with white publications, yet inclusivity in their own publications and products.

I do not mind white people only championing their own beauty even among a global audience, I think black beauty should be only for black people.  Having black women as the global standard will backfire as it would be harder for black men to attract black women.  Even white men have cons in promoting white women as the standard because they are worried about black and Middle Eastern men wanting their women.  Now white men are worried about “white genocide” in hopes to restrict immigration to save their numbers.

Black women need to have confidence in themselves that they do not need white men or non-black men lusting over them to feel desirable.  We do not need tokenism.  I am not pleased when superheroes are race swapped as black women because white nerds whine and cry reverse-racism.  I do not mind black women in white spaces, but stop being used a SJW statement on the importance of diversity and platforms where whites do not want you in the first place.